trailer world Issue Two 2012

Issue Two 2012 33 Photos:RichardKienberger Willig, a medium-sized company based in the city of Straubing, Germany, specialises in manufacturing tankers and tanker bodies. When talking to the company’s engineers, it quickly be- comes obvious that slimming down is also a hot topic at the “all- business” Willig headquarters located in the Ittling industrial park. An impression, however, that Robert Klebensberger, Technical Manager at Willig, is quick to put into perspective: “Of course, that is not an end in itself, it’s always about technological progress for our customers and our company.” Versatile High-tech Material Klebensberger clearly remembers a prediction made by his former boss. When he retired in 2005, the former head of Technical Development at the Straubing-based vehi- cle manufacturer gave his successor his personal assessment: “We will probably never succeed in getting the weight of a tri-axle semi-trailer down below the 5,500 kilogram mark.” Recently, Willig delivered a customary Jet A-1 semi-trailer with a tare weight of 4,500 kilograms, although that also always depends on the customer’s specified require- ments, as the engineer explains. Progress therefore enables more practi- cal and eco-friendly use of resources due to higher load capacities. On the other hand, many customers are fully aware of the technological state-of-the-art – and during negotiations, they precisely specify the minimum cargo volume to be transported. In effect, a company that expands its portfolio in this market seg- ment with a new, particularly lightweight product weighing in at 200 kilos less than customary models is at least sure to attract a lot of at- tention. The tanker specialists from Straubing have managed to do just that, with a product made from a material that has long been viewed as very promising for the future and which is already used in a wide range of applications and products: High-end road bikes, extremely light- weight tripods for photographers, vehicle chassis, airplane components and the wheel suspensions of Formula 1 racing cars are all made from carbon fibre, for example. Laypersons might easily lump all of this to- gether, but when interviewing an expert such as Klebensberger, it soon becomes clear that all carbons are not the same. Different production processes result in different material properties, which in turn define the possible range of applications. Two Premises Marked the Start of the Development When the Willig engineer and his team discussed options for significantly reducing the weight of the tankers by using the lightweight material, two premises for the further work were quickly established, because carbon fibre is too expensive to use it for gimmicks such as add-on parts. Therefore, development focused on solutions that allowed the carbon compound to fully demonstrate its strengths – for example, high load bearing capability and resistance to ageing – and thus Assembly and mounting the new suspension arm made from the carbon fibre high-tech material is relatively easy. The screws are redun- dant and act as an additional support for fixing the actually cemented component in position. Portrait

trailer world Issue Two 2012

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